Memo from Alex Schilt to the Faculty Senate regarding amendments to the Faculty Senate Constitution

TO: Ms. Shannon Doyle, Faculty Senate Secretary/Treasurer
FROM: Dr. Alexander F. Schilt, Chancellor~
DATE: October 6, 1980
SUBJECT: Amendments to the Faculty Senate Constitution
I am happy to respond to your request for a written statement of my position
on the proposed amendments to the Faculty Senate Constitution. That response
takes three parts:
know.
1. I have no hesitation in approving Amendments 1-5 on the attached list.
2. \ihile I would have no difficulty accepting Amendment 6 in the vast
majority of cases, I feel that it would be helpful under certain
circumstances for the Chancellor to have the option of requesting
a slightly larger number of names. Therefore, I must disapprove
Amendment 6, but I should like, at the same time, to propose an
alternative:
"The Senate shall, unless otherwise requested, send to the
Chancellor the exact number of names of faculty members needed
to staff a committee, those names having been recommended by the
Senate's Committee on Committees and endorsed by the Senate. Upon
specific request of the Chancellor, however, the Senate shall send
to the Chancellor one and one-half times the number of names
of faculty members needed to staff a committee,· those names having
been recommended by the Senate's Committee on Committees and en­dorsed
by the Senate."
If the Senate and Faculty Assembly were to concur with this amendment
or one which incorporates its basic provisions, I would then be able
to accept it without reservation.
3. Since I have not yet been able to explore fully the implications of
Amendment 7, I am going to defer any decision on it until I am
satisfied of its. import for all concerned.
If I can be of further assistance to you in these matters, please let me
cc: Herb Rebhun, Business Services
One Mam <;trcl't. Homtc111, Te:-..b ;-;on~
PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDHENTS
1. Throughout the document change "division" to "department" (since this will
soon be official).
2. Article One: Hembership
Section Two: All full-time college employees holding faculty rank excluding
those on leave and those with administrative duties above the
level of department chairman, shall be eligible to serve in
the Faculty Senate.
3. Article Two: Officers
Section Seven: Change the duties of the Secretary/Treasurer to read-­To
compile a complete set of minutes of the meetings of
the Senate and of the Faculty Assembly and to make • • .
4. Article Four: Standing Committees of the Faculty Assembly
6.
7.
Section Three: The Committee on Committees shall consist of the Senate
Vice-president, who shall serve as chairman, and six other
members of the Faculty Assembly elected by the Senate fnr
one-year terms.
Article Five:
Section Two:
Article Five:
Section Three:
Article Six:
Section Two:
"No faculty member shall serve as a representative of the
faculty on any college or system committee unless nominated
by the Senate Committee on Committees and endorsed by the
Senate."
"The Senate shall send to the Chancellor the names of faculty
members selected by the Senate's Committee on Committees to
represent the faculty on the committees of the college."
Section Two will read: "Between fifteen and thirty days after
the Senate approves an amendment, the Committee on Credentials
and Elections shall submit by mail the amendment and ballots to
the Faculty Assembly. Ratification of proposed amendments shall
require the support of a majority of the members of the Faculty
Assembly."
i
UH-DC FACULTY SENATE CONSTITUTION
The members of the faculty of the University df Houston Downtown
College establish this Constitution to provide an instrument for coop­erative
action in attaining such professional goals as the members may
select.
ARTICLE ONE: MEMBERSHIP
Section One. The Faculty Senate shall consist of a president, a vice
president, a secretary-treasurer, and representatives from all instructional
divisions of the college.
Section Two. All full-time college employees holding faculty rank, except
those with administrative duties above the level of division chairman, shall
be eligible to serve in the Faculty Senate. Those who are eligible to serve
in the Faculty Senate shall constitute the Faculty Assembly.
Section Three. Each instructional division of the college shall elect at
least one representative to the Senate. Divi~ions with more than seven
members eligible to serve in the Senate shall elect one additional represen- ·
tative for every aJditional seven members or major fraction thereof in the
division at the time of the election.
Section Four. The term of office for each representative shall be two years,
and no representative may serve more than two consecutive terms. In the
event of a vacancy prior to the normal expiration of a term, a special
election shall be held within thirty days to fill the unexpired term. The
terms shall be overlapping, with one-half of the representatives being
elected each year. Initial terms of office of one or two years shall be
determined by lot.
Section Five. Terms of office shall run from May 1 through April 30. Each
division shall elect by secret ballot the number of representatives to which
it is entitled prior to April 1. The Committee on Credentials and Elections
shall establish guidelines for division elections.
Section Six. Senators may be removed from office by a vote of two-thirds
of the members of the division which the senator represents. The Committee
on Credentials and Elections shall be informed two weeks in advance of the
election ~nd shall certify the results. If the senator in question is on
the Committee on Credentials and Elections, he shall temporarily excuse
himself from the committee.
Section Seven. All faculty members may attend and participate in discussions
at the regular Senate meetings, though only members of the Faculty Senate may
propose motions and vote.
-2-
ARTICLE TWO: OFFICERS
Section One. The Faculty Senate shall have a president, a vice president
and a secretary-treasurer. The vice president and secretary-treasurer shall
be regular voting members of the Senate, but the president shall vote only
to break a tie.
Section Two. Senate officers shall be elected at large through secret
ballots distributed by mail to all members of the Faculty Assembly. Elections
shall be held prior to March 15 each even numbered year. If a member of the
Senate representing a division is elected to a Senate office, his position
as representative shall become vacant. If no candidate for Senate office receives
a majority of the votes cast, a run-off election between the two candidates
receiving the largest number of votes shall be held within ten days.
Section Three. Terms of all officers shall be two years beginning May 1
immediately following the election. No person may hold the same office for
two consecutive terms.
Section Four. In the event of a vacancy prior to the normal expiration of a
term, a special election shall be held within thirty days to fill the unexpired
term.
Section Five. Functions of the president are:
1. To preside over meetings of the Faculty Senate
2. To report official Senate action to the Chancellor of the College
3. To see that all provisions of this Constitution are executed
4. To select a parliamentarian. subject to the approval of the Senate
5. To represent the Faculty Senate on the University of Houston
Coordinating Council
Section Six. Functions of the vice president are:
1. To preside over meetings of the Faculty Senate in the absence
of the president
2. To serve as chairman of the Committee on Committees
3. To assist the president
Section Seven. Functions of the secretary-treasurer are:
1. To compile a complete set of minutes of the meetings of the Senate
and to make the minutes of regular meetings available upon request to
members of the Faculty Assembly
2. To keep a record of members present at each meeting
3. To maintain the financial records of the Senate
4. To carry on all Senate correspondence
-3-
Section Eight. Senate officers may be removed from office by a sixty
percent vote of the Faculty Assembly. A vote for removal may be called
upon a two-thirds vote of the Faculty Senate membership or by a petition
signed by one-third of all Faculty Assembly members presented to and
certified by the Committee on Credentials and Elections.
ARTICLE THREE: MEETINGS
Section One. The Faculty Senate shall meet at least once every month
during the regular school year. The Chancellor, or his designated representa­tive,
sits with the Senate in its regular meetings. An agenda of business to
be considered by the Senate shall be posted publicly and distriguted to all
Senate members at least one week prior to each regular meeting.
Section Two. Sixty percent of the total Senate membership shall constitute
a quorum.
Section Three. All meetings of the Senate and its committees shall be
conducted according to the latest edition of Robert•s Rules of Order
unless otherwise stipulated for by a two-thirds vote of the members present.
Section Four. Components of the college other than instructional divisions
may be authorized to elect non-voting representatives to the Senate by the
regular Senate membership. Any component of the college desiring such
representation may petition the Senate for authorization to elect a non­voting
representative.
Section Five. A meeting of the Faculty Assembly shall be called at least
once a semester by the Faculty Senate president and a formal report made
to the Assembly on the activities of the Senate. A quorum at Assembly
meetings shall be a majority of the Assembly membership. At Assembly
meetings resolutions may be passed in the name of the faculty by a majority
vote of all members present or may be referred to the Committee on Credentials
and Elections to be voted on through a mail referendum. The Senate president
must call a special Assembly meeting when requested to do so by a petition
signed by twenty-five percent of the Assembly members. The presiding officer
of the Senate shall serve as presiding officer of Assembly meetings.
ARTICLE FOUR: STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE FACULTY ASSEMBLY
Section One. The following committees shall be standing committees of the
Faculty Assembly:
1. Executive Committee
2. Committee on Committees
3. Committee on Credentials and Elections
4. Grievance Committee
-4-
Section Two. The Executive Committee shall consist of the president. the
vice president, the secretary-treasurer, and two Senate members elected by
the Senate. The members elected by the Senate shall serve one-year terms
but may be reelected. Functions of the committee are: -
1. To prepare and distribute an agenda prior to each Senate meeting
2. To act for the Senate on routine business and in the implementation
of policies and procedures previously approved by the Senate or in
cases of emergency when the Senate cannot be convened
3. To receive and file all committee reports
Section Three. The Committee on Committees shall consist of the Senate
v1ce pres1dent, who shall serve as chairman, and six other members of the
Senate elected by the Senate for one-year terms. No division may have more
than one member on the Committee on Committees, and no senator may serve on
the committee for more than one year in any three-year period. Functions
of the committee are:
1. To nominate to the Senate faculty members for all Senate and Assembly
committees, both standing and ad hoc
2. To nominate faculty members to-run for president, vice president,
and secretary-treasurer of the Senate
3. To nominate to the Senate faculty members to serve on the standing
committees of the college
4. To receive from the Chancellor or Faculty Assembly members recom­mendations
for particular members of any committee
Section Four. The Committee on Credentials and Elections shall consist of
three faculty members elected by the Senate for one-year terms. Functions
of the committee are:
1. To be responsible for conducting the election of Faculty Senate
officers and the election of members of the Grievance Committee
as well as any other elections ordered by the Senate. The committee
shall circulate to all members of the Faculty Assembly a ballot
listing at least three nominees for each office. Faculty members
who wish to run for Senate office but who were not nominated by
the Committee on Committees may have their names listed on the
ballot by submitting to the Committee on Credentials and Elections
a petition of support signed by at least ten percent of the member­ship
of the Faculty Assembly.
2. To inform each division through its chairman, by February 1 of
each year, the number of representatives that division is entitled
to elect to the coming session of the Senate
. .
-5-
3. To investigate and report to the Senate all questions pertaining
to elections. Final decisions on such questions shall be made by
the full Senate.
4. To decide questions concerning an individual's eligibility for
membership in the Faculty Assembly
5. To establish guidelines for the election of division representatives
to the Senate
Section Five. The Grievance Committee shall consist of three tenured
faculty members elected by the Faculty Assembly for three-year overlapping
terms. Nominations for the Grievance Committee shall be made from the floor
at the first Faculty Assembly meeting of each academic year, and the Committee
on Credentials and Elections shall conduct an election by mail ballot within
two weeks of the nominations. No two members may be from the same division.
Three members shall be elected initially with one-year, two-year, and three­year
terms being determined by chance. The member who is in the last year
of his term shall serve as chairman. Functions of the committee are:
1. To hear any matter on which a faculty member believes he has cause
for grievance. Written petition to the committee by the faculty
member shall set forth the nature of the grievance, the person or
persons against whom the complaint is directed, and any evidence
that the petitioner deems pertinent to his case.
2. To reach a settlement satisfactory to the parties or, if such a
settlement is not possible, to report its findings and recommendations
to the parties involved and to the Faculty Senate
3. To act in the case of a dismissal as the informal inquiry committee,
following the procedures set forth for such a committee in the 1968
Recommended Institutional Regulations on Academic Freedom and Tenure
formulated by the American Association of University Professors
ARTICLE FIVE: FACULTY REPRESENTATION ON COLLEGE COMMITTEES
Section One. The number of faculty representatives on standing and ad hoc
comm1ttees of the college and the creation on new committees or the aboTftion
of existing committees shall be decided by the Chancellor of the College and
the Faculty Senate in collaboration ...
Section Two. No faculty member shall serve as a faculty representative on
any college committee unless nominated by the Senate Committee on Committees
and endorsed by the Senate. No faculty member shall be reappointed to a
committee assignment as a faculty representative without Senate endorsement.
. .. ~ . _... ..
-6-
Section Three. The Senate shall send to the Chancellor·the names of faculty
members selected by the Senate•s Committee on Committees to represent the
faculty on the committees of the college. The number of names submitted shall
be one and one-half times the total number of faculty members on each committee.
Section Four. The existence of college standing committees shall not
preclude the Faculty Senate from creating ad hoc Senate committees to study
and make recommendations on issues under the purview of existing college
committees.
ARTICLE SIX: AMENDING PROCEDURE
Section One. Amendments to this constitution may be presented by any senator
at any meeting of the Faculty Senate and shall be voted on at the next regular
meeting, provided that there be at least one week between the two meetings. If
two-thirds of the Senate membership support a proposed amendment, the admendment
shall be presented to the Faculty Assembly for a vote.
Section Two. Between fifteen and thirty days after the Senate approves an
amendment, the Committee on Credentials and Elections shall submit by mail the
amendment and ballots to the Faculty Assembly. Ratification of proposed
amendments shall require the support of a majority of the members of the
Faculty Assembly and the approval of the Chancellor.
ARTICLE SEVEN: ADOPTING PROCEDURE
Section One. This constitution shall become effective when approved by
sixty percent of the full-time faculty and approved by the Chancellor.
Section Two. The responsibility for the initial implementation of this
constitution shall rest with the Executive Committee of the Faculty Association
serving at the time of adoption.
Section Three. Upon adoption, this constitution shall replace all other
constitutions for faculty government at the University of Houston Downtown
College.

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TO: Ms. Shannon Doyle, Faculty Senate Secretary/Treasurer
FROM: Dr. Alexander F. Schilt, Chancellor~
DATE: October 6, 1980
SUBJECT: Amendments to the Faculty Senate Constitution
I am happy to respond to your request for a written statement of my position
on the proposed amendments to the Faculty Senate Constitution. That response
takes three parts:
know.
1. I have no hesitation in approving Amendments 1-5 on the attached list.
2. \ihile I would have no difficulty accepting Amendment 6 in the vast
majority of cases, I feel that it would be helpful under certain
circumstances for the Chancellor to have the option of requesting
a slightly larger number of names. Therefore, I must disapprove
Amendment 6, but I should like, at the same time, to propose an
alternative:
"The Senate shall, unless otherwise requested, send to the
Chancellor the exact number of names of faculty members needed
to staff a committee, those names having been recommended by the
Senate's Committee on Committees and endorsed by the Senate. Upon
specific request of the Chancellor, however, the Senate shall send
to the Chancellor one and one-half times the number of names
of faculty members needed to staff a committee,· those names having
been recommended by the Senate's Committee on Committees and en­dorsed
by the Senate."
If the Senate and Faculty Assembly were to concur with this amendment
or one which incorporates its basic provisions, I would then be able
to accept it without reservation.
3. Since I have not yet been able to explore fully the implications of
Amendment 7, I am going to defer any decision on it until I am
satisfied of its. import for all concerned.
If I can be of further assistance to you in these matters, please let me
cc: Herb Rebhun, Business Services
One Mam